


20 Days of Chub: Humiliation/Teasing

by Star_Sniper



Series: 20 Days of Chub: Eren/Armin [10]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Chubby Kink, Humiliation, Humiliation kink, M/M, Public Humiliation, Stuffing, Weight Gain, fat kink, fat!Eren
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-18 09:41:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29116158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Star_Sniper/pseuds/Star_Sniper
Summary: Canon AU: Sequel to 'Button Popping'. Eren returns from his stay behind Wall Sina a lot fatter than when he left and it seems that a lot of people have something to say about it.WARNING: Weight gain and humiliation kink inside.
Relationships: Armin Arlert/Eren Yeager
Series: 20 Days of Chub: Eren/Armin [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/428146
Comments: 2
Kudos: 35





	20 Days of Chub: Humiliation/Teasing

**Author's Note:**

> **20 Days of Chub - iwritetheweirdstuff@tumblr**
> 
> * Unintentional Weight Gain  
> * Being in Denial About Weight Gain  
> * Holiday  
> * Freshman Fifteen  
> * Stuffing/Feeding  
> * Mutual Weight Gain  
> * Size Differences/Comparisons  
> * Body Worship  
> * Button Popping/Seam Ripping/Etc  
> * **Humiliation/Teasing**  
>  * Eating Competition/Buffet/All-You-Can-Eat  
> * Magical/Magically Augmented Weight Gain (or Scientifically)  
> * Long Distance Kink (phone sex, web cam, etc)  
> * Weighing and/or measuring and/or numbers kink  
> * Starter Belly  
> * Food-Related AU (coffee shop, bakery, chef, food critic)  
> * High School/College AU  
> * AU Of Choice

It started the moment that he and Armin entered the training grounds, not that Eren was all that surprised. He had gone up two uniform sizes during his stay behind Wall Sina, and his current uniform was undeniably snug on his ample frame. While Eren had been still been considered on the smaller size while amongst the bloated officers behind the wall, he stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the soldiers who only just ate enough to match the extreme physical training that they went through on a daily basis. A chubby soldier was almost unheard of, and if they were, the gruelling exercise and lack of nutritious food ensured they didn't remain that way for long. 

It wasn't as if he wasn't used to being stared at. Eren was a known name amongst the recruits for many reasons and not all of them good ones, but those stares had once been of awe, irritation, or perhaps even fear. Now they were looking at him in undisguised shock, eyes lowering to his prominent stomach before flickering back up to his face as if to confirm it was truly him. Some of the younger recruits were whispering furiously behind their hands, the older and bolder ones openly laughing, a couple arching their backs and sticking their stomachs out in a poor mockery of him.

He should have been furious, Eren realised. He should have grabbed one of the smirking idiots and thrown them up against the nearest wall, reminding them of their place by pinning them underneath him until they squirmed and begged for mercy. But that familiar spark of anger simply didn't ignite, quelled by his racing heart and an all too familiar feeling of exhilaration building up inside of him. Eren sighed as he glimpsed one young recruit mimicking a stomach by tracing an invisible curve out in front of him, which in turn caused his friends to let out little snorts of laughter that they struggled to muffle behind their hands.

“What the hell is all the commotion about?” Instructor Shadis marched out of one of the nearby buildings, his eyes narrowing in displeasure, “Get back to training _now_!”

As the recruits scrambled to get back into formation, Shadis' formidable gaze fell upon Eren and Armin. It had been close to a decade since Shadis had overseen their training, Eren was considerably taller and bigger than him now, and yet he still felt that innate flicker of fear as the man turned on his heel and strode towards them. He found himself standing to attention on pure instinct, and he could see Armin doing the very same out of the corner of his eye. 

“Now what do we have here?” Shadis's flinty eyes looked Eren up and down, “Not every day you see a _pig_ in uniform.”

It was ridiculous how that one word made Eren's insides quiver. He had to bite down hard on his lower lip as Shadis prodded at his side, his bony finger sinking down into the soft roll of flesh. After a few painful prods at the fat hanging over Eren's waistband, Shadis suddenly grabbed Eren's protruding stomach between both hands, giving it a short, sharp shake that made every ounce of excess flab jiggle. 

“I can see you've fattened yourself up nicely,” Shadis sneered as his fingers dug into the soft rolls at Eren's sides, “Perhaps you thought we could use you as Titan bait? Or we could stick your fat ass in a catapult and take out an entire herd all at once. A replacement boulder for the wall? You're well on your way to being fat enough to fill the gap.”

Eren couldn't bring himself to even risk a glance towards Armin. Shame and pleasure roiled in the pit of his stomach, his skin tingling with every single painful prod and pinch from Shadis. He could feel countless pairs of eyes staring at them, at _him_ , his cheeks growing warm from the scrutiny. Still, his infamous temper didn't ignite, instead, he stood placidly as Shadis stared him down, his heart racing so loudly he was positive that his former instructor could hear it. 

“Take a look,” Shadis announced, gesturing towards the gathered recruits, “This is a prime example of the bloated bastards lounging behind Wall Sina. Look at the gut,” he slapped the palm of his hand against Eren's side, “-bulging and distended from more food than one person could possibly need. Sticking out so far he can't even see his damn feet. A fat sack of crap like this ain't worth shit on the battlefield unless you want to hide behind him.” 

“Sir,” Armin's soft voice was a pleasant contrast to Shadis' fierce tone, “Captain Levi is expecting us.”

“Then you better skip away and tell him that this one is gonna be late, Arlert,” Shadis' whipped his gaze towards Armin, “Because Yeager has just volunteered to run laps with my recruits. Haven't you?”

“Uhh,” Eren trailed off uneasily as Shadis turned back towards him, “I guess? _Sir_.”

“Then get that fat ass moving!” Shadis stuck two fingers between his lips and whistled sharply, “Recruits! Twenty laps, _now_. Anyone slower than Yeager will get my boot up their ass!”

With a desperate look at Armin's retreating back, Eren broke into a light jog towards the edge of the training grounds, hearing several pairs of footsteps behind him. He grimaced as he felt his softer body jiggle with every single step, his stomach and backside bouncing within the tight confines of his uniform. Eren hadn't run since arriving behind Wall Sina, but to his surprise, his stamina hadn't faded away completely underneath his rolls of fat, nor had his muscle memory. He was slower than before, and he found himself getting breathless before reaching the first corner of the makeshift track, but he could _run_. 

Recruits streamed around and ahead of Eren like water around a rock. Sweat beaded against Eren's temples as he watched countless young recruits run effortlessly ahead of him, noticing that a handful were already half-way around the track and were sure to overtake him again at some point. He had never been so painfully aware of every pound that he had added to his frame, Eren could feel them weighing him down as he breathlessly reached the second corner, his face burning from exertion. 

“Keep going lardass!” Shadis yelled from the centre of the training grounds, “Be grateful I'm not making you run until you sweat off every last pound!”

Before Wall Sina, Eren could have run laps around the young recruits. Shame bloomed in Eren's chest as he watched himself getting lapped time and time again, even by the scrawnier and weaker recruits who would have usually been the ones trailing behind. But he couldn't deny the fact that getting so out of shape was getting him excited, the realisation that he had gorged himself to the point where his excess weight was actually slowing him down. Eren found himself grateful that his face was already flushed, and forced himself to start on what _had_ to be his ninth or tenth lap. 

Eren's chest felt as if it were on fire. His thighs were brushing up against one another through the thin, course material of his pants, and his stomach was starting to feel sore from bouncing so much. He watched as recruit after recruit finished their laps and moved to join Shadis, watching Eren in silence as he struggled to keep one foot in front of the other. He was still running, he knew better than to slow down to a complete walk in front of Shadis, but it was taking every single bit of effort Eren had to keep moving. 

The skies darkened overhead, a light and blissfully cool rain falling onto Eren's overheated skin. The last few recruits had staggered off to the side to join the rest, much to Eren's shame he still had three laps to go. Every muscle in his body ached, protesting at being overworked after having been sedentary for so long. He ran his tongue over his lips, tilting his head up in the hopes of catching a few drops of rain in order to soothe his parched throat. 

“Look at that fatty fly,” Shadis's voice filtered through the gentle pattering of raindrops, “Looks like there's still a soldier still buried under all that flab after all!”

He knew he'd put on weight, that much had been obvious to Eren the moment he'd managed to burst out of his pants during dinner just under a month ago. But he'd assumed the extra weight had merely settled at his belly and perhaps his backside, those were the places where his uniform pulled a little too tightly. As Eren ran, though really it was little more than a jog as he finally entered his final lap, he could feel his upper arms jiggling slightly too, and his inner thighs were starting to chafe against one another. Even the fairly snug confines of his uniform could barely restrain his wobbling flesh. 

As he rounded the corner to the final stretch of his run, Eren saw that most of the recruits had pulled their hoods up against the rain. It made the group look a little eerie through the grey mist that had sprung up along with the rain, with the bare-headed Shadis standing out amongst the cloaked figures. Eren's gaze fell on the small figure stood to Shadis side, and his heart skipped a beat on catching the gleam of Armin's blond hair underneath that hood. Somehow, Eren was able to summon up one last burst of energy he didn't even know he had, breaking into an actual run until he drew level with the group. 

“Maybe pigs can fly,” Shadis muttered to himself, only barely audible to the nearby Eren, before raising his voice once again “Right! Get back to drills. You've outrun a fatty but that isn't worth shit!”

Eren sank down to his knees as the recruits rapidly dispersed, water from the rain-sodden ground soaking through the knees of his pants. Armin crouched down next to him, thrusting a waterskin into Eren's hands. After fumbling to open the top, Eren drank deeply from it, the water refreshingly cool against the back of his throat. Had he not been in love with Armin before that moment, Eren realised he certainly would have been following that small act of kindness. 

“Are you okay?” Armin's hand was gentle against Eren's back, his small fingers warm against his sweat-soaked shirt. 

“I'm fine,” Eren managed between shallow breaths, “Just got to... catch my breath.”

Eren's legs trembled as he forced himself to stand, adrenaline coursing through his veins. Amidst his aching muscles and sweat-dampened skin was the fact that he was still helplessly aroused at the situation he had found himself in. Eren gritted his teeth as he arched his back in an attempt to soothe his sore muscles, inadvertently thrusting his belly outwards. If anything, the swell of his gut helped pull attention away from the other issues he was having with his increasingly tight pants. 

“You should probably shower before we meet with the Captain,” Armin suggested tactfully once they were dismissed by a begrudgingly impressed Shadis, “Our luggage must have made it to our sleeping quarters by now.”

The barracks were deserted given the time of day. Eren showered quickly, cursing the weak and tepid spray under his breath. He had been thoroughly spoiled by the quality of the showers behind Wall Sina, where the hot water was plentiful and the pressure never dipped to a slow trickle. The curves and rolls of Eren's body gleamed under a thin layer of soap, the weak lighting highlighting every extra pound clinging to his frame. He swept the suds away with trembling fingers, lingering over the prominent swell of his stomach. 

It was softer now, Eren realised on squeezing a handful of flesh. Since leaving Wall Sina, the quality and quantity of the food available to Eren had decreased rapidly with each passing day. Now it wasn't being packed tightly with food, Eren's belly protruded a little less as if it had deflated slightly. As he meticulously rinsed away the soap bubbles that had crept between the rolls forming at his sides, Eren was surprised to feel a pang of disappointment at the thought of losing weight. He'd become strangely accustomed to his fuller form, from the proud rise of his belly to the soft dimples on his thighs. 

Aware that both Armin and Captain Levi were waiting on him, Eren finished showering and painstakingly towelled himself dry before changing into a fresh set of uniform. Armin was sat on the bench outside, his nose already buried in the same book he had been reading while they had been travelling back to the training grounds; Eren could recognise the unusual blue cover a mile off. The blond didn't stir until Eren was stood directly in front of him, raising his gaze from the page with a guilty little blush. 

“Sorry. Are you ready?” Armin closed his book and tucked it back into his bag, “Instructor Shadis was really tough on you. Are you sure that you're okay?”

“You want the truth?” Eren glanced across at Armin as they fell in step with one another, “I was more hopelessly turned on.”

Armin's eyes widened. “Because of _Shadis?_ ”

“What?” Eren yelped, “No! I mean, yes. I mean,” he heaved an overly dramatic sigh over his lower lip, “What he said. About me. Calling me fat, poking my flab,” he felt a stirring behind his groin just at the memory, “Maybe I'm even more fucked up than I thought.”

“You're not wrong for being... _enthralled_ by something different,” Armin began, in that slow and careful tone that Eren had come to understand meant that Armin was trying to be as kind as possible, “Everyone's different. Just because your preferences aren't conventional doesn't make them wrong.”

Only Armin could make Eren's strange little desires sound so reasonable. After they had stepped over the threshold into the main building and found themselves walking down a deserted hallway, Eren reached out to grab Armin's hand in his. As the blond turned to look at him in surprise, Eren closed the distance between them, gently capturing Armin's lower lip between his teeth. Armin's fingers tightened against his own and Eren deepened the kiss. He was painfully aware that they didn't have the same privacy they had enjoyed behind the Wall, but he had gotten accustomed to being able to whisk Armin away to a quiet corner for moments like this, and he was just as reluctant to give them up as he was his extra pounds. 

“You wouldn't be trying to delay seeing Captain Levi, would you?” Armin asked breathlessly as they broke apart, running his tongue over his kiss bruised lips, “I don't think he'll be any happier if we keep him waiting.”

“Maybe I just wanted to kiss you for being incredibly understanding and somehow knowing me better than I know myself,” Eren's hands settled at the gentle nip of Armin's waist, “Don't you miss getting to do this whenever we want? It's going to suck having to be in the barracks again.”

Armin's fingertips brushed against Eren's temple, stroking back a few strands of slightly damp hair. “We'll find a way. I'll find a way. _After_ we go see Captain Levi.”

Armin had always had the uncanny ability to coax Eren into doing whatever he wanted, which was how he found himself in Levi's office, standing in front of his desk. Levi's office was sparsely decorated, with little furniture other than his desk, chair and a couple of bookcases. While there was a chair for visitors, it had been pushed into the corner, a painfully clear signal that Levi didn't plan on entertaining them for any longer than necessary. He was currently flipping slowly through a familiar-looking set of papers and had yet to speak other than to invite them inside. 

Eren shifted his weight from one foot to the other. The small of his back was starting to ache from having to stand to attention for so long and his thighs were sore after his unexpected run. He could feel the heat radiating from them through the thin and admittedly somewhat stretched material of his pants. It had been a good few hours since Eren had eaten, a quick breakfast of stale bread rolls with just a smear of butter, and his stomach was starting to churn in anticipation of his next meal. One particularly loud growl drew the attention of both Armin, Eren felt those blue eyes flicker quickly in his direction, and Levi, who finally looked up from his desk.

“At ease. Your report is impressive as always, Arlert,” Levi leant back in his desk chair, able to capture both Eren and Armin underneath his flinty gaze, “I'll need to go over it more thoroughly before passing it on, but I have faith that it will impress those that it needs to. I take it that your time behind Wall Sina was informative? In more ways than one.” 

“It's like a different world,” Eren admitted, surprising himself with his own candidness, “They really don't get what it's like being out in the real world. The only thing they got to worry about is making it to the dining room three times a day. Or whether they wanted port or wine with dinner. Forget the titans being three walls away, for them, it's like they don't even exist.”

“They were amazed that we'd actually seen titans,” Armin added from Eren's side, “I'm not entirely sure we were supposed to tell them that.”

“So you've seen for yourself the life of ignorance and senseless luxury those bastards live,” Levi raised a fine eyebrow in Eren's direction, “I'd assumed you'd waddle back in here somewhat heavier, but you've really outdone yourself. Just how many pounds did you manage to pack on?”

Eren exchanged a quick glance with Armin. “I dunno. Last time I got weighed was during the yearly physical. A couple of weeks before we left?”

“The records will need updating. Considerably,” Levi traced the curve of Eren's stomach with stern, calculating eyes, “Can you even see anything past that gut of yours?”

Eren looked downwards, an awkward blush staining his cheeks on realising he could only see the very tips of his boots past the tremendous curve of his belly. His shirt clung to his stomach like a second skin, it reminded Eren of sketches he had once seen of a hot air balloon. If he craned his neck forwards he could see a _couple more inches of boot_ but nothing beyond that. 

“I'll take that as a no,” Levi heaved a weary sigh as he stood up from his desk, “Once you get fat, it gets increasingly harder to go back. You're still young enough to drop the weight, but if you slide back even the slightest bit, you're just going to balloon up again,” he rounded his desk to stand in front of Eren, prodding at his bulging stomach with a slender finger, “Probably even fatter than before and you're pretty damn fat as it is.”

Eren's skin tingled from where it had been poked and he didn't dare even glance in Armin's direction. “I don't think there's much chance of that happening out here.”

“There's every chance that they'll call you back behind the wall. Or you'll be the kind of idiot who makes it to retirement despite the odds being stacked against you,” Levi muttered, prodding the softer area of fat above Eren's bellybutton, “That's when it'll catch up to you.”

With Armin's slight figure stood quietly beside him, and the wiry-yet-toned Levi stood before him, Eren felt fatter and heftier than ever. He towered over them, his protruding stomach and plump backside a startling contrast to the lines and angles that adorned their smaller builds. The mere idea of being even fatter sent a flood of arousal through him, his mind conjuring up images of thighs thick enough to brush up against one another, a rotund belly that stuck out far enough to hide his feet with his own unrelenting fat. 

“There's not a chance the ODM gear is going to fit your fat ass,” Levi grumbled as he looked Eren up and down, disdain clearly etched into his features, “We'll have to stick you in basic training until you can squeeze your way back into it. I'm going to make it my personal mission to whip you back into shape,” he emphasised the second syllable of _whip_ with a purse of his lips that left Eren feeling a little weak at the knees, “You're really going to regret letting yourself go.”

Regret, Eren realised as he forced himself to complete yet another shaky-armed push up underneath Levi's steely gaze, still wasn't the word he would have used to describe his thoughts about the extra weight he had gained. Each brush of Eren's belly against the ground sent a shiver of pleasure down his spine, his arms trembling from the effort of supporting his own hefty bulk. Sweat dripped from Eren's brow as he raised himself up once again, having lost count of how many push-ups he had done. Not that Levi had told him how many he was supposed to be doing, and Eren wasn't about to ask either. 

He inhaled sharply as Levi paused mid-stride to nudge the side of Eren's stomach with his boot. “You look like a cow, Yeager. Fattened up and ripe for slaughter.”

It was just the two of them now, the early evening light sending long shadows streaking across the yard. Eren could see the lights of the mess hall, where the majority of recruits and cadets would be receiving their evening meal. Armin was most likely there, having been dismissed by Levi several hours ago, while Eren was being forced to do eternal push-ups in the chilly evening air. A low growl rumbled from the pit of his stomach, Eren gasped as it was prodded again by the tip of Levi's boot, with more force than before. 

“Your overindulgence will only make it tougher to deal with the shit that passes for food here,” Levi's boots clipped sharply against the hard ground as he continued circling Eren, “Though it's obvious that you've had more than your fair share of food lately. Shoving forkfuls of greasy food down your throat until you're bursting out of your clothes, growing _fatter_ _and stodgier_ with each passing day.”

Eren yelped as his arms were kicked out from under him, landing hard on his front. A swift kick from Levi forced Eren onto his back, his dazed vision taking a moment or two to focus on the purple streaked skies overhead, a few of the brighter stars starting to show. His belly rose up in front of him with each startled breath, ripples forming across Eren's shirt as the material struggled to contain the excess flesh. 

“Sit-ups,” Eren weakly tilted his head up as Levi stepped into view, “Now.”

Horror and excitement curdled in the pit of Eren's stomach as it quickly dawned on him that he couldn't perform a single sit-up. He had retained enough of his core strength to lift his shoulders from the ground but was prevented from sitting up completely by the sheer girth of his gut. Doughy rolls formed as Eren's stomach was squeezed up against his thighs. A startled grunt fell from between Eren's gritted teeth as he kept forcing himself upwards, his back muscles starting to ache in protest. 

“Pinned by your own gluttony?” Levi tutted, one hand resting against his hip as he looked down at Eren with narrowed eyes, “Fatty can't do a single sit-up?”

“I'm.... _trying_ ” Eren ground out, beads of sweat forming on his brow. The added complication of being so aroused by the situation wasn't helping his flustered state, he felt himself grow hard against the underside of his belly. His stomach muscles, buried under several inches of flab, were burning as Eren tried to force himself upwards just a little bit further. A little further, Eren grimaced, starting to tremble with exertion as he inched ever closer to performing a full sit up. 

Pressure crept along Eren's waistband from the rolls of fat being forced down against it, Eren was struck with a horrifying sense of familiarity just seconds before his button popped open. He fell out of position, his back hitting the hard and unforgiving ground with a solid thud that reverberated throughout his body. Eren didn't dare look in Levi's direction, his cheeks flaming red in sharp contrast to the icy breeze drifting over his exposed skin. The silence was infinitely worse than the shouting he had expected, the only sound being that of his own, ragged breathing. 

“I didn't say that you could stop,” Levi prodded at Eren's lower belly with his foot, not even attempting to mask his disgust, “Look at yourself. Spilling out of your damn clothes. Your fat ass isn't going _anywhere_ until I get a sit up out of you.”

That shouldn't have made Eren squirm in poorly disguised delight. “I... need a moment...” 

“I'd hurry up if I were you,” Levi jerked his head towards the lights of the mess hall, “Won't be long before people start leaving, and there's no way in hell that they're gonna miss seeing a mountain of flab like you.”

Eren's humiliation streak wavered at the thought, a part of him was beyond thrilled at the thought of being _stared_ at with his gut protruding through his busted pants, whispers starting up about the bloated soldier, the former pride of the Survey Corps having grown so plump and _fat_ that even his largest set of uniform couldn't hope to contain his flab. There would be disgust and ridicule and Eren wouldn't be able to do anything, pinned in place by his own consumption. 

But, a sharper part of Eren's mind reminded him that the flab would fade. He'd return to being one of the best that the Survey Corps had to offer, and it would be a lot easier to rise to the top if the young and impressionable recruits didn't have that image burned into the back of their mind. Eren's dreams for the future and his most basic desires were clashing against one another and somewhere, deep underneath the layer of fat he had grown to enjoy so much, he knew which way he had to lean. 

At least, for now. 

Perhaps it was determination that saw Eren being able to force himself into a single sit-up, or his broken pants had allowed him just enough freedom to force his soft body into compliance. Maybe Levi had let the less-than-perfect sit up slide just that once. Covering his exposed lower belly with his shirt, Eren was reminded of the last time he had found himself in that situation just over a month ago. He should have felt more ashamed of himself, yet he felt nothing but a shiver of pleasure as he smoothed his shirt into place. 

Having been dismissed by a disgruntled Levi, Eren made his way back towards the barracks, limbs trembling from exhaustion. Armin was sat on the steps outside their sleeping quarters, his cloak draped about his shoulders and a heavy-looking book resting against his knees. He looked up hearing Eren, his blue eyes gleaming in the lamplight. Some of Eren's fatigue seemed to seep away as he sank onto the step down from the one Armin was perched on, using the height difference to rest his head down against Armin's narrow shoulder. 

“How bad was it?” Armin freed a hand to curl his fingers into Eren's hair.

“Could've been worse,” Eren admitted, a keening sigh drifting from his lower lip as Armin began to stroke through his hair, “Could barely do a single sit-up. And I managed to pop another button trying.” 

Armin's eyes darted downwards, a flush spreading across the bridge of his nose. “What did Captain Levi say?”

“He wasn't exactly impressed,” a shiver of excitement soaked Eren's spine at the memory, “He threatened to leave me there for the recruits to find. Belly up and fighting for breath.”

“You were tempted, weren't you?” Armin's hand slipped underneath Eren's shirt, his fingertips gliding across the tanned skin.

“Just a little bit,” Eren's breath caught in his throat as Armin's finger teased the deep edge of his navel, “But then I realised. I want to keep fighting. I need to be giving those recruits the impression that I'm a soldier. That I'm someone who is gonna take out the rest of the titans. If I'm telling them what to do one day, I can't have them remembering that time they left the mess hall and I was laying there with my gut hanging out because I tried and failed to do a single sit-up.”

“Oh! I completely forgot,” Armin untangled his fingers from Eren's hair to retrieve a plate from behind the gently glowing lantern, “It isn't much, but I managed to sneak this out for you.”

A mug of stew was accompanied by a couple of bread rolls, one of them looking fairly squashed, along with a small and slightly bruised apple. It couldn't have been further away from the food they had been enjoying while behind the wall, both in quality and portion size. Eren tilted his head up enough to press a kiss to the gentle curve of Armin's jawline, balancing the plate back against the small roll of fat at the very top of his stomach. It didn't protrude out far enough to be used as a shelf, but Eren could at least cradle his plate against it. 

“Thanks, Armin,” Eren dunked the more squished looking roll into the stew, which was still warm for the most part due to being so close to the lantern, “Did you get to see Mikasa at dinner? Anyone else?”

As Eren ate, he listened to Armin talk about their friends, with a warmth and familiarity that tugged on Eren's heartstrings. Apparently, Mikasa had been desperate to see Eren, only to be lumbered with a night shift over at one of the storage buildings. Connie and Sasha had been eager to hear about their time behind the wall, or more precisely about how good the food was, while Jean had seemed more interested in hearing if Eren had really come back fat. Historia had seemed mostly unimpressed throughout most of the conversation but had also taken it on herself to step in when Armin seemed as if he was getting overwhelmed. 

“At least we're still sharing our sleeping quarters with Jean and Connie,” Armin scratched his blunt fingernails against Eren's scalp in a way that made his skin tingle pleasantly, “I know it's not the same as having our own room, though.” 

Connie might have been the loudest snorer Eren had ever heard and Jean was, well, _Jean_ , but Eren understood what Armin was trying to say. They _knew_ about Eren and Armin's relationship, and perhaps more importantly, they understood. Still, Eren exhaled softly between his teeth as he fought to get the last scrap of stew from the bottom of the mug, it wasn't going to be the same. Being intimate with Armin was going to be relegated to darkened corners and the occasional supply closet, with stolen kisses being exchanged whenever their schedules lined up enough for them to snatch a few private moments together. 

“Never thought I'd miss being behind the wall,” once he had finished eating, Eren slipped his arm around Armin's back, “I thought I was gonna hate it until I realised they didn't really expect us to do anything. The food, the free time, the fact we got to do stuff that wasn't just training or drills or studying? Being here is where we belong and we still got a lot of work to do. But I guess it was just nice to get a break from all that.” 

“You'll get to experience that again,” Armin settled against Eren's side, “One day. The titans will be gone and we'll only have to worry about the things most normal people worry about. Like housework, whether we need to fetch more firewood or what we're going to make for dinner. The future won't be a maybe, it'll be a certainty.”

“Wish I had your optimism,” Eren curled his fingers against Armin's side, a faint sensation of hope fluttering in his chest, “Maybe Levi was right. I'm the kind of idiot who makes it to retirement.”

Eren could feel Armin's lips tug into a smile against the curve of his throat and Eren's optimism only flared more strongly. “Then it won't matter if you get too fat to fight.”


End file.
